Somerset Escape to the Country

This elegant Grade-I listed pier is the only one of its kind

in the whole country that's stood the test of time.

And that's an impressive feat considering it has to withstand

some of the highest tides in the whole world.

So, where am I?

Find out in just a moment.

Today I'm helping a sporty couple

looking to get their feet on the UK property ladder.

They're swapping the sights of suburbia

for a more rural outlook in the countryside.

That's a nice room.

And with the view, I want to wake up to that in the morning.

And with a top selection of properties up my sleeve,

I'm hoping I can keep my buyers on a high.

-A big thumbs up...

-Woo-hoo!

-..from me!

From me as well.

Today, I'm on Clevedon Pier

overlooking the Severn Estuary in Somerset.

Constructed in 1869,

the pier was built to service steamers

ferrying tourists across the estuary over to Wales.

Now, as you can see, the pier stretches out to sea

for over 300 metres.

And was built from steel rails

left over from Brunel's South Wales Railway.

In fact, the proximity of the town

to the line running between London and the South West,

ensured Clevedon's popularity as a seaside resort

with Victorian holiday makers.

The county of Somerset is in the heart of the West Country,

sandwiched between Wiltshire and Devon.

A predominantly rural county,

Somerset is a mix of large flat expanses of land,

stunning coastline

and rolling countryside.

From Exmoor National Park to the Mendip Hills.

On the southern tip of the Mendips is the cathedral city of Wells.

A popular tourist destination

due to its religious and architectural history.

Lying adjacent to the cathedral is the impressive Bishop's Palace,

home to the Bishops of Bath and Wells for 800 years.

Further north, the River Chew merges with the River Avon

to form the Chew Valley.

Dammed in the 1950s to form Chew Valley Lake,

the river supplies Bristol with most of its drinking water.

It's now an important site for birdlife

and has been designated a sight of special scientific interest.

The pretty traditional villages of the Chew Valley,

such as West Harptree and Stanton Drew,

boast hundreds of listed buildings between them,

some dating back to the 13th century.

The main village, Chew Magna,

was designated a conservation area in 1978

and has recently been voted the best village in Britain.

Boasting coast, countryside and culture,

it's no surprise that you'll pay more than the national average

to live in Somerset, but not as much as you might expect.

The good commuter links and the proximity to Bath and Bristol

make North Somerset the most expensive spot.

With a detached house here coming in at

about 25 grand more than the national average.

But further south, into Somerset proper,

and away from the major cities,

your money will stretch a little further

as it's only 5,000 more than the national figure.

So why have today's buyers decided to make

this corner of the South West their home?

It's time to meet them and find out.

Today's buyers are Lindsay and Patrick,

who currently rent this three-bedroom home

in Stoke Bishop, Bristol.

Lindsay is from Yorkshire,

while Patrick was born in Glasgow, but grew up in Canada.

The well-travelled couple met five years ago

when they were both living and working in Brussels.

Well, I moved to Belgium from Canada in 2002

to study at university.

And then loved it so much that I just didn't leave.

Made loads of friends,

including the friend who introduced Lindsay and I.

-Yeah.

-And then one thing led to another.

The rest is history.

Married now for two years,

and with plans to start a family in the not too distant future,

they've chosen to return to their roots in the UK

to be closer to family.

Our friends, when we left Brussels,

thought we were a bit mad moving to Bristol or Somerset,

which nobody had ever heard of.

But after the city life for many years,

we decided it's time to get out, and move to the country.

Brussels has many good aspects

but it is a bit congested, it's busy.

Both pleased to have found jobs in Bristol,

they decided to rent on the outskirts of the city

while they settled back into life in the UK.

But when it comes to finding a more permanent home,

their sights are set on a more rural outlook.

We're looking to move to Somerset in that

it offers some of the best of the English countryside,

green rolling hills...

But, on the other hand, it offers us proximity to Bristol for work

and for being in the city with friends.

It feels a little bit like Scotland on a miniature version.

I reminisce about our time up there when we got married,

when I see the rolling countryside in Somerset.

And the rolling hills of the West Country

have another advantage for this couple,

who, when not at their busy day jobs,

still like to be on the go.

We're both very happy getting outside in to the sunshine

-and enjoying the outdoors.

-Exercising.

-Exercising.

Cycling is THE sport in Belgium,

and, conversely, I'm not very keen on the running,

but that's Lindsay's passion.

Yeah, I love the running.

Currently training for a marathon, so in October,

I'll be going back to Belgium to run the Brussels marathon.

In Somerset you have lots of rolling hills, and different terrain,

whereas Brussels is very, very flat.

And being in Somerset, in the countryside,

we'll be able to move straight out the front door

and go walking, go cycling,

and be in the fresh air and the green right away,

without having to navigate through the city.

And there's someone else who's rather keen on the outdoors

who'll be joining them on the move.

Snoopy is a one-year-old mischievous beagle.

He's got lots of character.

He's also got lots of energy and he needs at least three walks a day.

Despite leaving behind the excitement of city life,

and many of their friends,

they're in no doubt this change of lifestyle and culture

is the right move for them.

I think living in Somerset is just going to be fantastic for us.

We'll be able to go running, cycling, walk the dog...

And just...I think we'll be in our, in our element.

This isn't just a move for the next couple of years.

This is going to be a long-term move.

We want to find a property that suits our lifestyle now

and in the future.

Patrick and Lindsay both need to commute to Bristol city centre

on a daily basis. As they often have to travel internationally,

they also want to be within easy reach of the airport.

So we're focusing our search in the rural areas and villages

within an hour of Bristol.

I'm catching up with our frequent flyers

to find out their property particulars.

Welcome to beautiful Somerset,

-and I have to say welcome back to the UK.

-BOTH: Thank you.

-A long time in Belgium, hey?

-BOTH: Yeah.

It's nice to be back in the UK.

So, why now? What's the allure of coming back home,

and what are you looking for?

Well, we're looking for a change of lifestyle.

We're looking for openness, rolling hills,

the rolling countryside.

-And you're both quite active, aren't you?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, we are.

-Scarily so!

-You're a keen cyclist.

-I'm a keen cyclist.

Several years in Belgium, got passionate about cycling.

-How passionate?

-Very passionate. How many bikes are we talking?

-There's probably about six bikes in the garage right now.

-Oh!

So the ideal property then for you?

Just remind me of the key features.

We want something that's got nice country style,

-a bit of character.

-Yeah.

-But on the inside,

we're really looking for something that's got a lot of light.

-We'd like to live in an open-plan style house.

-That's right.

I think we'd ideally like a three-bedroom property

so we could accommodate family and friends

when they come to stay with us. Garden is a must.

Somewhere to store the bikes

and all of the...all of the outdoor pursuit equipment.

How far are you willing to go for this ideal property?

-I think...

-Well...

-..sort of, we're open to compromise,

but I don't think we want to drive more than an hour

-from work in a morning.

-Yeah.

I think the hour would be the absolutely maximum we could go.

Now, just remind me of your budget.

Our budget is £400,000.

OK. Now, that's not bad for this area.

But it's a punchy market, and you're looking to be close to Bristol,

but you still want sort of bucolic surroundings, so...

-That's where we're going to have to comprise.

-Yeah.

We know we set you up for a challenge.

-So...we're ready and waiting to see what you've got to show us.

-Good.

Well, you set a challenge for us, we'll be challenging you too.

-There may be a compromise here or there.

-Of course.

-Can't wait.

-Let's go.

-Come have a look.

With their budget of £400,000,

Lindsay and Patrick are looking for a traditional English property

with real country character.

They'd like three bedrooms,

a good sized garden to accommodate the dog

and a location no more than an hour's commute

from their work in Bristol.

With three fantastic properties to show them,

I'm confident we can find them something to get excited about.

I'll be asking them to guess the price of each property

at the end of the house tour.

And our final stop will be to a mystery property

which I think has the power to really test their priorities.

What's the number one priority for you, Lindsay?

I'm wanting to see a property

that has some views of the countryside maybe.

I don't think there's any point in moving to the countryside

-if you can't see it around you.

-Ooh.

I think everything else I can work around

and I can compromise on.

Our search starts on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills in Wookey,

two miles from Wells.

The village itself is small

but has a primary school and three pubs to choose from.

Its Grade-II listed parish church dates to the 12th century,

and its period properties are a mix of stone terraced cottages

and farm houses.

With a public footpath from the village directly to the Mendips,

hikers and walkers like Lindsay and Patrick

have all the benefits of village life,

with the green rolling hills right on their doorstep.

Property number one is a character cottage

in the heart of the village.

The start of the search!

And here we are at property number one.

-Wow.

-Oh, it's lovely!

It's so quaint. It's great.

The style of the property

is exactly what I had in mind from the outside.

It's very, very pretty.

And the drive and the lane is amazing,

it's just so peaceful.

Now we are about 45 minutes drive from work for you in Bristol.

-Yeah.

-So, not too bad?

-That's fine.

-Not too bad.

I'm comfortable with this so far.

-But most important is the property itself, isn't it?

-It is.

-Yeah.

-Let's have a look.

-Can't wait.

This three-bedroom detached cottage is built of locally quarried stone.

On the inside, it's been sympathetically extended,

and modernised, retaining its character.

Step inside.

-Ooh.

-Wow.

Wow.

-Now, this is a bit of a surprise, isn't it?

-It is.

Because it's an entrance way but, actually, it's a room in itself.

-Used at the moment as an office, but a bit of flexible space.

-Yeah.

Oh, it's lovely. I wasn't expecting this at all.

-What I really want to show you is through here.

-OK. OK.

-So it's an open-plan feel...

-Wow.

-..into the living room.

This is very, very nice.

-The wood burner is really nice as well, I like that touch.

-Yeah.

Lots of natural materials. The floor is limestone.

-And I like it for you guys...

-Yeah.

-..because it's dog friendly.

It's been very well done. You've seen that they've taken the time

and put a lot of effort into getting it right.

An important room though, really, is the kitchen.

You like entertaining, you're going to have friends over?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Let's go have a look.

-BOTH: OK.

I couldn't have hoped for a better reaction to this property,

and I'm glad they appreciate the mix of traditional features

with the more modern layout I know they wanted.

-Oh!

-Wow!

THEY LAUGH

That is great.

-A big thumbs up from me.

-Woo-hoo!

From me as well. The cooker is just absolutely...

-Your eyes went straight there, didn't they?

-Yeah, top notch.

A range is what you were looking for.

-So, in the village, there's no gas.

-BOTH: OK.

So this house is heated by that range.

-Oh!

-Really?

-Yeah. And then through that door,

you've actually got a utility area and downstairs cloakroom as well.

That leads to the outside, So it could be sort of boot room,

it's great for Snoopy

-to come in and out of the outdoors.

-That's perfect.

-Leads through to a sidewalk way for...

-Epic.

-..the bikes.

-So...

-That's great.

-Is there much you would change in this room?

Not really I have to say, no.

-Very, very little. Very promising.

-Very.

-Let's carry that on

-as we go upstairs and check out the bedrooms.

-Great.

-OK.

The upstairs is part-furnished,

but has three good sized bedrooms

including a master with en-suite,

and a double currently laid out as a twin,

served by a stunning modern family bathroom.

-Oh.

-Wow.

More wows! You guys...are just...

-brilliant!

-THEY LAUGH

It's very nice.

Love the floor.

All the wooden flooring throughout.

And a great view out over the garden.

And a huge amount of light coming through those windows,

that's really good.

I like the fact that you have the lovely ledge there.

You could sit there on a morning with a cup of coffee

and look out over the garden.

-To me, this is the master bedroom...

-Yes.

..because of the view, but it doesn't have the en-suite,

whereas next door does. I don't know how you feel,

would you keep this as the master or want the en-suite?

I'm not sure really.

I think I would keep this as the master suite.

You've done extremely well, you've exceeded my expectations.

OK, scale of one to ten, how excited are you?

-Um...

-Oh, at least a nine and a half.

I'd say, yeah, I'd say a nine.

OK, so what's going to push this up to a ten?

-Let's see the garden.

-Yeah.

I know how important outside space is to these two,

and I don't think they'll be disappointed.

The enclosed rear garden is south-facing,

and has a terrace for entertaining, as well as circular lawned area.

Oh...flowers.

-Butterflies, birds singing...

-THEY LAUGH

-..and a pretty substantial property.

-Very substantial.

-Yes.

We were surprised about how much space there is inside,

it's really...a lot of room.

And the garden's lovely.

Very well maintained. We have the split between the terrace there

and the lawned area here, and it...works very well.

And then it leads down.

You've got the shed there, space for the bikes.

-Yes.

-All six of them.

Also, space for a car just at the side of the house.

But how much do you think it's on the market for?

Definitely towards the top end of the budget, I would say.

I'm going to go for 400,000.

I agree top end of the budget.

I'd go with er...395.

OK... And would you pay that for it?

-Yes, I think so.

-I think so.

That's music to my ears.

This property is on the market at just £50 short of 400,000.

-So 399,950.

-OK.

Right, so now you have the reality of how much this house will cost,

go back in, wander round and we will have a chat later on.

-OK.

-That's good.

-Thanks.

Coming in just under budget,

this traditional stone cottage

would give our buyers the three

bedrooms they need and offers them

the charm of a character cottage

with a contemporary

and spacious layout downstairs.

There's an enclosed garden

perfect for their dog,

and although it doesn't have views

of the rolling hills,

it is in a great village location,

moments from the countryside

and 45 minutes from their jobs in Bristol.

-This is a nice space, isn't it?

-It is. It's really light and bright.

I think it'd make an excellent guest room.

Yeah, and we'd certainly get the double bed in here.

And nice views out over the garden.

I'm really impressed so far. I think the...the space,

the appointments, the quality of the build is really impressive.

This kitchen, with all the space we have here and the combination

of the dining room, we could really do some nice entertaining.

I can see ourselves living here and settling here for the long term.

Also, I think it'd be a great property to bring up a family in.

-Ooh, you've had a good look around now, haven't you?

-Yeah.

-Yes.

-Yeah, you like this one.

A great start, but we're not done yet.

There are more properties to see, so let's get going.

The hills of Somerset are a far cry from the Belgian plains that

Lindsay and Patrick have left behind.

With the potential of all this rolling landscape soon to be

at their fingertips, we sent our energetic couple to the

Polden Hills to meet Theresa Smith, organiser of a local running club,

the Shapwick Runners, to show them some of the outdoor delights

they'll be able to explore when they finally make their escape.

We moved here about eight years ago now.

We were living in Bristol and working in the city

and decided to bring our children up in the country.

I'm a keen runner, my husband's a keen runner,

he's also a keen cyclist, so it's great for both of us.

-Oh, yeah.

-Like Patrick.

-Love my cycling,

So, yeah, you know, you'll find it fantastic in this area for that.

So, the route I'm going to take you on today is one of my favourite

training runs, and I'm going to show you some of the best parts.

-Great.

-Let's go.

-Let's go, yeah.

-Let's do it.

Theresa set up the Shapwick Runners seven years ago and currently

has around 20 local members.

With its variety of hills, Levels, and coastline, Somerset has

something to suit many adventurous appetites,

and you don't have to travel far

to catch sight of some of the regions iconic landmarks either.

Wow.

-Wow, that's amazing.

-Beautiful scenery.

Well, it is a really lovely spot.

You've got the Mendips over there.

And you can see as far out as the sea, out at Burnham-on-Sea,

and over across to Wales.

And then you've got Cheddar Gorge just there.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Then of course there's Glastonbury Tor,

-which you'll probably recognise.

-Wow, certainly.

-Yes.

Well, that's obviously our most famous local icon.

And it was also, at one stage, an island thousands of years ago...

-Really?

-..when the whole of Somerset was under water.

Yeah. That's five or six miles away from here.

Probably to run to the top of the tour it's a bit further,

-about an hour to run to the top.

-I should try that one day.

-Yeah.

Rising from the flat landscape of the Levels at a height of 158m,

the Glastonbury Tor is one of the most spiritual sites in the country.

Legend has it that King Arthur and his knights came to the tor

on his quest to find the Holy Grail.

The tower we see today is all that remains of a 15th century church.

But as well as being steeped in history, the Levels are also

rich in biodiversity.

Oh, it's beautiful here.

This area is the middle of Shapwick Heath Nature Reserve,

so we're in the middle of the Somerset Levels now

-having dropped down off the Polden Ridge.

-OK.

-This area is famous for starlings.

-Oh.

Well, generally bird watching.

I came down just on a run and there were crowds of people

with their binoculars, things like that, then you looked up in the sky

and all these black swarms of interesting formations of starlings.

They're here from November till about February.

-OK. Each year?

-Each year, yes.

Oh, right, we'll have to come and see that.

Then just over there they discovered a Neolithic road,

called the Sweet Track.

-OK.

-Wow.

-Which was actually... It dates back to 3800 BC, more or less.

-Wow.

-Yeah. So, you know, that's a bit of ancient history.

Until around 4500 BC this area was all sea.

As the water level dropped, reeds and sedge began to grow and then

decomposed over time to form peat.

When machines were sent in to remove the peat in the 1960s

so it could be used in horticulture, workers discovered the perfectly

preserved timber track that would have enabled Neolithic man to

cross the marshy landscape between Meare Island and the Polden Hills.

The Sweet Track is the oldest man-made route way in Britain.

Oh, it's beautiful here, Theresa.

I'm really jealous that this is on your doorstep.

We've got a bit of a run uphill now, and I know it's

really hot. We've got to go back up to the Polden Ridge.

-Good training for me.

-Definitely. Let's go this way.

-Keeps me fit and strong.

-Come on, let's go.

With so much to explore, it seems Somerset could be a good

place for Lindsay and Patrick to pursue their passion for adventure.

One day soon, they too could have all of this on their doorstep.

For our second property, we're travelling closer to Bristol,

into popular commuter territory. Just over ten miles south

of the city and eight miles west of Bath is the village of Marksbury.

A popular destination for those keen on outdoor interests,

the rural village is surrounded by breathtaking countryside.

There's a primary school rated outstanding

and a shop in the village,

as well an active community holding yearly fetes

and activities run through the local village hall.

More extensive amenities can be found four and a half miles away

in Keynsham.

Our next property started out as a farmer's cottage for the local farm

and backs onto open fields.

-Property number two.

-Wow.

-Another village. A lovely village.

-And a gorgeous property.

Very nice. It looks very nice from the outside.

Lovely. Very promising.

Now, another plus with this property is that it's that much closer

-to your workplace, 20 minutes away from Bristol for you.

-That's great.

It's a semidetached. How do you feel about that?

That doesn't bother me. It looks very nice from the outside.

I like... Again, it's another stone property,

so it has that traditional character.

I like very much that it's set back from the road a little bit,

there's a bit of a front garden which gives you extra space,

-which I think is really nice.

-There has been an extension

as you can probably tell, just on the side.

-So, lots to explore. Let's go in.

-All right.

-OK.

This cottage dates back to 1800.

The two-storey side extension was built in 2010

by the current owners, doubling the size of the downstairs living

space, which I hope will really appeal to Lindsay and Patrick.

In you come.

-Oh.

-Wow.

-Oh, lovely.

Ah, a look of surprise.

It's similar to the first property, isn't it?

You sort of walk straight into a room,

and this is the living room.

It's quite a nice sized room. Not a bad start.

-Not a bad start.

-Not a bad start at all.

-Yeah. Smiles. Great.

-But there's a lot more to this house, come on.

-OK.

Behind the front living room is an area used as an office space

which leads into the new part of the property.

Down through here and into open-plan luxury.

Yes, another range, I'm happy about that.

-And look that way.

-BOTH:

-Oh!

-There we go, there's your view.

-Oh.

And I like this arrangement with the kitchen, a sort of family area

which is separate to the main living room.

How are you feeling about...?

I like it. It's got a modern feel but also a country kitchen feel

with the green cupboards and the big range. I like it.

And it wraps all the way round, so living space here

but dining area just around the corner. Let's take a look.

-This is nice.

-Very nice.

They've got the French doors looking out onto that lovely terrace,

and the view.

The open-plan feeling, is this what you were looking for?

-Yeah.

-Yes.

-Definitely, in terms of the layout,

that's what we're looking for.

And, for me, the expanse out there and that view

makes it feel even bigger.

-That's right.

-It does.

-Let's go check upstairs and see the bedrooms.

-OK.

-OK.

Also downstairs is a cloakroom and a utility room.

As we head upstairs, there's a large double bedroom

that would make a great guest room,

a single, useful should the family expand in the future,

and a family bathroom.

-Step through to the master bedroom.

-Oh, yeah.

-Wow, that's a nice room.

Yeah. And with the view.

I want to wake up to that in the morning.

Now, it's a descent sized room. It hasn't got an en-suite

but you do have this space here where they have got a little sink.

-OK.

-And you probably notice there isn't a wardrobe,

so, I mean, for me, I might turn that space

into more of a wardrobe space.

Yeah. I just worry that we might not get all of our furniture in here.

No. I think it'd be a tight fit for sure.

OK, I asked you before, I'm going to ask you again,

marks out of ten?

Hmm. I'm saying around eight and a half this time.

Yeah. I'm going down to an eight, I would say.

Well, let me take you outside, see if the view

and the wonderful tiered garden that you're going to see down there

-swings it a little bit higher up for you.

-Sounds good.

-OK.

The outside space has also benefited from the recent extension,

with twin French doors opening onto a decked terrace

and two tiered levels below,

making the most of those spectacular rural views.

This is what the countryside is all about.

-Yeah.

-Very pretty indeed.

And what the current owners have done is really make

the most of this garden area. So, as you can see, it was on a slope

and they have tiered it off like this.

-Yeah.

-And protected it with the fencing,

so I think it would work well for Snoopy.

Yeah, that's a really good idea.

I like the way they've done that. Yeah.

How much do you think it's on the market for?

I would say...375.

Yeah, I'd say it's going to come in under house number one,

so I'm thinking in the region of 360, 365.

Interesting. Well, I think you're going to have a bit of a surprise.

-OK.

-This property is on the market for £425,000.

-Oh, really?

-Wow. OK.

-Yes, really.

This is that much closer to Bristol and Bath.

Now, I know it is above your budget but the owners are open to offers.

You are in a very strong position. And bearing that in mind

and the fact that you've halved your commute and get the views,

I definitely think you should have another wander round.

-OK.

-All right.

-Will do.

This property does come in £25,000 over their budget but I felt

I had to show it to our buyers as it delivers so much on their wish list.

It offers the character property they wanted with three bedrooms,

open-plan living downstairs and a great garden space for entertaining.

A major advantage for this cottage is its proximity to Bristol.

Patrick and Lindsay would have just a 20-minute commute.

I really like the way the terrace is set out.

I like this little table, you could sit here and have a barbecue.

Be a nice barbecue, wouldn't it, looking over the fields?

It would be looking over the view.

I do very much like this property,

in particular those views out there, they're spectacular.

I like the family room and the dining area.

It'd very comfortable and very easy to live here in the downstairs.

But I do have a bit of a concern about the master bedroom.

It's still in the running

but definitely coming behind house number one, I think.

The small upstairs bedroom and the price being a little bit

out of our budget range, sort of push it further down the list.

-There you are.

-Hi.

-Had another good look?

-Yes.

-It's been a long day, hasn't it?

It has, yeah, but you've shown us two beautiful properties today.

Yeah. And how are you feeling?

-Tired but inspired.

-Good!

I like the last bit, inspired.

Good, keep that feeling going, and you can mull over it tonight.

-Yeah.

-Perfect.

It's the second day of our Somerset search with house hunters

Patrick and Lindsay.

Recently returned from Brussels, Belgium, and ready to put down roots

in the UK, they're hoping their budget of £400,000

will buy them a character property with long-term potential.

But after getting off to a strong start, will the quirks

of my mystery house see my buyers running for the hills?

-Do you think you could adapt to this?

-It's not worrying me.

No. On the contrary, you've got lovely big, beaming smiles.

And I find out how the Victorians turned this pile of putty

into a work of art.

Patrick and Lindsay are looking to buy their very first home together

and inevitably that involves a degree of compromise.

But so far I'm really encouraged by their willingness to re-evaluate

their priorities and weigh up what's most important to them.

They're ready to give up city living, but with the mystery house,

I'd like to see how far they're willing to go to embrace rural life.

If they choose this house, it's got a more traditional layout

and there'll be a longer commute to work, but if they can see past

all of that, I think they'll get everything they're looking for

and a whole lot more.

For our mystery house, we're heading further a field,

45 minutes south of our last property

to the village of North Brewham, two miles from the town of Bruton.

The village itself is small

but has a local pub and is set in beautiful

rolling countryside, making it an ideal spot for walkers and cyclists.

The nearby ancient town of Bruton is small but has a thriving

local art scene as well as highly regarded schools.

There's also a museum where visitors will learn that the town was

once home to author John Steinbeck,

who stayed for nine months in 1959 whilst writing one of his novels.

Five minutes in the car takes us back to North Brewham.

Right, mystery house time.

-You want to escape to the country.

-We do.

So we've brought you somewhere very rural,

but look what could be yours.

-Amazing.

-That is gorgeous.

Grade-II listed, 350 years old.

-Oh!

-Wow. THEY LAUGH

And if you just look behind you...

-Yeah.

-Yeah. Views.

-Lovely.

We are also an hour away from Bristol.

-OK.

-So it's the other thing with this mystery. So, longer commute.

Right. Maybe the drive to Bristol is a bit long

but I think depending what's on the inside of the house

and how our home life would be,

it might be might be worth making that compromise.

-Oh, I love that word. Let's go and have a look.

-All right.

I'm really relieved the longer commute time hasn't put them off

this beautiful old farmhouse.

If they continue to stay open minded, I think this house

could provide the long-term potential they're after.

The largest property we've seen so far, one end has been adapted

to created what is currently a separate cottage.

But if Patrick and Lindsay prefer, it could easily be converted back

as part of the main house

with the potential for either a fourth bedroom or extra

living space.

-Now, through here and you walk straight into...

-Oh.

..what they call the snug!

-It's lovely.

-That's great.

-Oh, it's a lovely size, yeah.

-I really like it.

-I love that big fireplace and the...

-That's gorgeous.

-..wooden roof beams.

This isn't even the proper living room. Come this way.

-Oh, that's...gorgeous, yeah.

-That bay window is amazing.

Another really good size living room.

-It's more traditional as well, though, isn't it?

-Yes.

But it's got... I think it's got quite an open feel still.

It does, there's a lot of light coming in

and the big windows really help it to feel very open.

-Yeah.

-On the other side of the house you've got pretty much

-a self-contained separate cottage. It's got its own kitchen.

-Really?

Shower room, a little living room and a bedroom,

which we thought, for you guys,

would be perfect for when you have visitors over,

-particularly your international guests.

-That sounds great.

-That's ideal for us.

-Shall we look at that kitchen?

-I know you're itching to.

-Let's.

-It's this way.

Unlike the previous two properties, this place hasn't been opened up

or modernised, but all it needs is a little vision.

-Oh, wow!

-That's amazing.

Yeah, it has that very kind of rustic country cottage feel.

-Probably needs a little bit of work but...

-Yes.

-..that's fine.

-Oh, that's fine?

-Yeah.

-Oh, great.

I'm glad. I think you're absolutely right,

with this property you've more of an opportunity

to kind of put your own stamp on it and change things about.

There is a little bit of touch up work to do

but it does have a lot of character, that farmhouse charm.

-I like it a lot.

-Yeah.

-Let's have a look out here

-and then we can have a proper talk about what you might change.

-Great.

At the far end of the house, beyond the kitchen, there's a bright

conservatory, currently used as a dining room.

So, you can imagine your dinner parties here...

Yeah, that's a...that's a cracking view. It really is.

They're stunning views, yes.

I know it's not the open-plan kitchen-diner that we'd

anticipated, but it doesn't feel as though you're cut off.

-Do you think you could adapt to this?

-I think so.

-Yeah, I think so.

-It could work, yeah.

-It's not worrying me.

No. On the contrary, you've got lovely, big beaming smiles.

So, I'm keen to take you upstairs to show you the bedrooms

and the layout there.

-OK.

-Great.

-After you.

Upstairs there are three bedrooms,

one currently used as part of the separate cottage.

And there are a couple of options for the master bedroom.

Decent sized double.

Yeah. No, it is a good size.

-OK.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

Yeah, the built-in cupboards might deal with our clothes storage issues.

I was waiting for you to say about the storage, yeah.

This is currently used as the master but there are two other bedrooms.

At the other side there's another room

-which, actually, is a bigger space.

-OK.

-OK.

-I think you might want to use that as your master bedroom.

-OK.

-Really?

Now, the bathroom here, the family bathroom, is downstairs,

so I think if you're also looking for more projects,

-you could think about putting some bathrooms upstairs.

-Yeah.

-OK.

I'm surprised. I thought it would be much smaller up here.

-OK. So, pleasantly surprised?

-Yeah, yeah.

It was definitely worth the risk bringing Lindsay and Patrick

a little further from Bristol than they initially wanted.

If the price is right, I think this place could be a real contender.

We've finished the magical mystery tour of our mystery house.

-Yes.

-It's lovely and higgledy-piggledy, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-It is, yeah.

-Great.

-Gorgeous.

Lots of character, lots of charm.

And then out here a charming garden as well.

Lovely. Yeah, really nice sized garden.

Out there you've got two car ports.

-You've got a lovely big shed for all the bikes.

-Brilliant.

So, that brings us to the big question.

How much do you think you have to pay to get all of this?

I think it's probably...it's going to be above our budget.

I'm going to take a punt on 450.

I'm going to go in with 430.

This property is on the market at £400,000.

-BOTH: Really?

-Smack on your budget.

-Oh. Wow.

-Wow.

I am surprised. Oh, that's good news.

It's reassuring to know that a property of this character

and this size is within budget.

Look what you can find if you just go a bit further out.

-BOTH: Yeah.

-Yeah, and you've shown us that.

There's so much to explore in there.

-Go on. Off you go.

-All right.

Coming in bang on budget, this house scores high on

Patrick and Lindsay's wish list.

It's got the character charm

and three bedrooms they're after.

And despite not being open-plan,

it has plenty of light, bright

living space plus the potential to

extend or reconfigure in the future.

The separate cottage would come in

handy when guests come to stay.

The only compromise is the longer commute to Bristol.

But if they can deal with

the distance, then this could

make a dream property.

This is a nice, big room.

Potential to make this into a master bedroom I think.

Yeah, and I like the split level.

And there's plenty of space if we wanted to take

a corner of the room and turn it into an en-suite, we could do so.

Yeah, easily.

The mystery house has been just fantastic.

It's really blown me away. There are so many different rooms

and I think it's got so much potential.

The layout maybe not quite what we were looking for

in terms of an open-plan modern space

but I think we're able to make the compromise with that

and work around that,

so we're really, really interested and excited about this house.

It's really made me think about, where do we want to be?

Is location everything?

But it's such a beautiful property.

I think it's a front runner for us now.

It's been a busy two days, hasn't it?

-It has been.

-Yeah.

-You've shown us quite a lot.

A big variety.

So, thinking caps on because it'll be decision time soon.

The Somerset countryside is home to numerous historic buildings

and country houses, such as the magnificent 13th century

Maunsel House, which is said to be where Geoffrey Chaucer

wrote his Canterbury Tales, basing them on local characters.

The art collection here at Maunsel has built up over centuries

and includes valuable works by artists such as Rembrandt,

Van Dyck and Constable.

Specialist restorers Everett Fine Art have been caring for

paintings and frames for Maunsel and other houses in the area

for over 50 years.

Their team of highly-skilled restorers and conservators

work out of a studio near Taunton, where I've come to meet

second-generation owner, Tim Everett,

to be shown some of their complex work.

Tell me a bit more about exactly what you do here.

I see frames and some paintings.

Well, it's really two departments.

We do frame restoration and making,

and then I personally do the conservation of oil paintings.

That involves repairing canvases that are ripped or torn or flaking,

and cleaning them as well.

So, every 100, 150 years a painting has to go through some

sort of conservation, so that is where we come in.

We've got a very interesting project at the moment

which is this large old master behind you,

and it had been restored very heavily in the past.

In fact, came out of a convent in Belgium, originally.

So, once we cleaned it, we actually revealed the sky,

many of the figures, and indeed a lot of the clothing

on the figures had been Victorian overpaint.

So, the modesty of the Victorians...

So, originally this painting would have been of naked ladies?

Indeed. And we are returning it that way now.

-I love it. And the Victorians kept the painting...

-Oh, yes.

-..but would just paint some clothes on.

-Oh, many a time.

Many a time we get that.

We get a modesty piece of clothing here and there.

Tim and his highly experienced team of eight restore and conserve

18th-century paintings and watercolours for museums,

stately homes and schools,

as well as a large number of private clients seeking to renovate

treasured family portraits.

But cleaning and restoring the paintings themselves

is only part of the story.

Often, the frames are in equally bad condition.

That's where frame specialist Lester Gordon comes in.

They can come in varying degrees of damage.

-That's so ornate, but...

-Yes.

-..look at the damage here.

Over time it dries out

and bits crack and they fall off and then they lose them.

What would you do to bring this frame back to life?

First process would be to stabilise, so just check that any bits...

If they're going to come off, I want them to come off now.

For the missing bits, I then will take an impression of that

and then I will mould a piece to go in there.

The team here have a collection of over 300 original

18th and 19th-century wood-block moulds, used to make the decorative

detailing or ornaments on the frames that enabled Lester to

complete historically accurate repairs.

He's going to show me some of the techniques used.

Before these, people were carving whole frames,

so they would be carving all this kind of ornament.

They realised that you could pay...get one person to carve

a section and then get people just to press out ornaments.

So you can mass-produce the frames and that's what allowed people

-to furnish their homes so ornately in Victorian?

-Yes.

-Is it

something a lay person like me could have a go at?

There's certainly aspects of the work you could do.

In fact, I've got a frame that needs some ornaments pressing out now,

so, actually, if I move this one, we've got one we start on.

The compo or moulding material used

is a 200-year-old traditional method

made from chalk, called guilder's whiting, and rabbit-skin glue.

It is steamed to give it the elastic consistency of a hot putty material.

That comes out of there.

Over to what looks like flour, but I think it's chalk.

No, it's chalk. And then, just like with making dough, you dust it.

What makes the traditional way of doing things work so well?

Why haven't you modernised the technique?

There is no modern substance that can do the job.

-Very satisfying work this, isn't it?

-Yes.

-Yeah.

Compo goes right into all the little crevices of the mould.

-And then we leave it to set.

-Yes.

Once that cools down, that'll be soft enough,

we'll be able to pull that away.

'The compo takes five to ten minutes to cool

'before removing from the mould.'

-If you peel it out.

-Beautiful, yes.

So, if we carefully just let it fall onto the table.

-So, then we have...

-Oh, gorgeous.

And there we have our four corners.

The final stage is to cut off the ears, or rough edges,

around the ornaments as precisely as possible.

-That'll sit on there.

-Just there? Does it go up a bit

-or just sits there?

-That sits in the middle there like that.

Yeah. Perfect. Beautiful.

-And then along the top here.

-Yes.

-There we go.

-Yeah. That's a good first effort.

-Excellent.

-It's not...not bad.

-No.

I would love to spend the day here with you finishing this off

but I think I'd better get back.

Wonderful to get an insight into how you turn a plain frame like this

into a thing of beauty.

I love the power of the mystery house.

I'm pretty sure that Patrick and Lindsay would never have looked

at that property if they'd been left to their devices,

but now we've really put the cat amongst the pigeons,

and it's a choice between village life or a rural retreat.

What have they decided? Let's find out.

-Hello.

-Hi.

-Hello.

-You found a lovely spot here.

And you're looking very pleased,

so I'm hoping you've made some decisions now.

I think we have. Yeah.

I think we've decided that property number two is out of the running.

OK, I had a feeling.

I mean, you had a great reaction to the first house

and an even better, I've got to say, to the mystery house.

So, where are we at now in kind of weighing it all up?

Having talked about it,

I think the mystery house is probably in the front running.

I think it has a lot of charm and character

and the rural location that we...we really like.

We would need to look into the local area a bit more

and I think we need to do a bit more research as to what we can

and can't do with a grade-II listed property.

What about the first house then? Still in the running?

-Is it a close second?

-We haven't thrown it out completely.

But I think, yeah, the mystery house is still the leader.

I think I'd like to go

and have a second viewing of the mystery house first,

see how we feel and then possibly

a second viewing of property number one.

The mystery house, could that be your family home?

-It could well be.

-It could well be, yeah.

It's been a real pleasure spending time with you.

I can't wait to hear how it all turns out.

-Yeah.

-Thanks so much for having us.

-Thank you very much.

What a success.

It looks like Patrick and Lindsay

have fallen in love with the mystery house.

But it has taken some compromise,

and that word can often make you feel like you're giving

something up or you're going to lose out.

But I think what Patrick and Lindsay have shown us is that

if you're just willing to look at things a little differently,

it can open up a whole world of opportunity for you.

I'll see you next time on Escape To The Country.

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